Two goats

100. Come and behold: Yisrael sent the goat to Azazel, to the wilderness, so as to give a portion to the Other Side with which to be occupied. You may ask why there are two goats here, one for Hashem and one for the Other Side. It is understandable TO SEND the goat of the Other Side TO AZAZEL, but why the goat to Hashem?

101. HE ANSWERS: IT IS SIMILAR to a king who was angry with his son. He summoned a bailiff, who regularly meted out justice to people, in order to come and punish his son. The bailiff rejoiced and entered the king's palace to eat there. As soon as the son saw him, he thought: Certainly, the only reason this bailiff has come to my father's palace is because the king is angry with me. What did he do? He tried to please him. Once he pleased him, the king ordered a magnificent feast for himself and his son, and commanded that the bailiff would not know of it. Afterward, the bailiff came. The king thought: Now if he knows of the grand feast that I prepared for my son and myself, there will be confusion at the table. What did he do? He called the butler in charge over the feast and told him, 'prepare something to put before me and the bailiff, so that the bailiff would think that he dined with me, and would not know about that other precious feast for me and my son. He would then take that portion and leave, and disengage from our joyous feast.' If the king had not done this, that bailiff would not have left the king's palace.

102. So did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Yisrael: 'Prepare two goats, one for Me and one for that Slanderer', NAMELY THE OTHER SIDE, 'so that he will think that he ate from My meal and will not know of the other, our own joyous meal. Let him take that portion and go his way and depart from My house.' Since supernal Ima, which is the World to Come, NAMELY BINAH, came to dwell in the sanctuary of the Lower World, to observe it with a radiant face, it is only right that the slanderer would not be present, nor the plaintiffs, when He takes out all the blessings and illuminates everything. And all manner of freedom is available IN MALCHUT, and Yisrael receive those blessings.

103. When the world to come, WHICH IS BINAH, enters the sanctuary of the Lower World, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and the Lower World rejoices in its children in that magnificent feast THAT IS DRAWN FROM BINAH, then BINAH blesses the table. All the worlds are blessed and every kind of joy and shining face are present there. This is what is written: "that you may be clean...before Hashem" (Vayikra 16:30).

104. It is written: "And Aaron shall cast lots on the two goats; one lot for Hashem and the other lot for Azazel" (Ibid. 8). This is the joy of the Slanderer, that the Holy One, blessed be He, casts lots with him and invites him TO TAKE THE SCAPEGOAT. But he does not realize that He pours a flaming fire on his head and on his people, as is written: "For You will heap coals of fire upon his head" (Mishlei 25:22).

105. You may derive this FROM THE PASSAGE: "Even Ester the queen let no one come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared but myself" (Esther 5:12), and: "Then Haman went out that day joyful and with a glad heart" (Ibid. 9) with that portion that he received, and went his way. Afterward, when the Supernal King came to the Queen's palace, the Queen asked for Herself, for Her children and for the people of the King.

106. Even when the children of Yisrael are in exile and pray daily, MALCHUT ascends on this day, YOM KIPPUR, before the King and asks for Her children. Then all vengeance that the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to bring against Edom are decreed, and it is decreed how this Slanderer will be removed from this world, as is written: "He will destroy death forever" (Yeshayah 25:8).

107. Bear in mind that it is written about the time of exile: "For we are sold, I and my people...since the affliction would not have equaled the king's damage" (Esther 7:4). What is "the king's damage?" It is as you say, "And cut off our name from the earth, and what will You do for Your Great Name?" (Yehoshua 7:9) because the Great Name will no longer be maintained, and this is the king's damage!

108. "Then Haman - WHO IS THE OTHER SIDE - was struck with terror before the king and the queen" (Esther 7:6). Then every shining face and every joy is present, and the children of Yisrael go out free on that day - YOM KIPPUR. From that day and onward, freedom and joy openly rule over them and He wishes to rejoice with them. From here on, just as a portion is given TO THE OTHER SIDE, so that he shall depart FROM YISRAEL, a portion is also given to the other nations, so that they depart FROM YISRAEL below.

109. Come and behold: what is the secret meaning of offering a goat rather than something else? Why is it that on the first day of the month we offer a goat, and also here ON YOM KIPPUR? If you say that it is because the goat is of its aspect, it is well, but why not an adult goat (Heb. ez), BUT A YOUNG GOAT (HEB. SEIR), WHICH IS SMALL?

110. HE ANSWERS: This is needed, NAMELY JUST A GOAT, and it is known to all those who perform witchcraft, who perform it only with that which has not yet mated with a female. Therefore, all the young goats, which have not yet mated with a female, are among its species OF THE OTHER SIDE. AND THE REASON IS THAT A STRANGE EL IS STERILE AND PRODUCES NO FRUIT. But a grown goat has already mated with a female AND PRODUCED FRUIT. THEREFORE, IT IS NOT IN THE PORTION OF THE OTHER SIDE. Since THE OTHER SIDE is a king, AS IS WRITTEN, "AN OLD AND FOOLISH KING" (KOHELET 4:13), in its honor, A YOUNG GOAT is given, one that never mated with a female, and did not give of his strength to another, OF HIS OWN KIND, AS MENTIONED. And each sorcerer who performs these functions knows this. Therefore, they lay all their sins on that young goat.

111. Come and behold: even though the young goat is the portion of the Other Side, there is a secret here, FOR IN THE SIDE OF IMPURITY the lower the aspects, the greater their impurity, and the more the lower grades descend, the greater is their impurity. Therefore, the portion OF THE OTHER SIDE is greater in a grown goat, because its hairs hang DOWN more than any other animal, just as their Judgments stem below in impurity. The impurity of this evil kingdom, which is the king of the entire Other Side is clearer AND MORE REFINED, and is not as completely impure as the lower ones. Therefore, it is given a young goat (Heb. seir, lit. 'hairy') whose hair does not hang DOWN, and is not smooth. It is not smooth because of its impurity, but the hair does not hang downward, so that the impurity shall not grow strong, like these lower GRADES OF THE OTHER SIDE. Therefore, it is surely a young goat, and nothing else.

112. HE ASKS: Why is it called 'atonement' (Heb. kippur)? HE ANSWERS: Because it cleanses all impurity and removes it from before Him on this day. Therefore, it is called 'Yom Kippur', WHICH MEANS a day of cleansing. Thus we call it. It is written: "For on that day will He forgive you, to cleanse you" (Vayikra 16:30). HE ASKS: Why does it say, "for on that day"? It should have said, 'for this day'. HE ANSWERS: Because the celestial Temple, WHICH IS MALCHUT, was purified and lit up. Therefore, it is written: "For on that day will He forgive you," WHICH MEANS He shall forgive and cleanse first this day, NAMELY MALCHUT, so that He may purify and forgive you afterwards.

113. Another EXPLANATION: He shall forgive on that day, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and cleanse it first. The only reason it needs to be cleansed is "you", that is, for your sake it needs to be cleansed and purified first. "He shall forgive", HE ASKS: Who shall forgive. AND HE ANSWERS: it is the Upper World, WHICH IS BINAH that illuminates and cleanses everything. Therefore, all the evil aspects, which are called 'the depths of the sea', are removed. As these depths of the sea are drooping down, so are the hairs OF THE YOUNG GOAT, which pertains to its side, NAMELY THE OTHER SIDE. The hairs of that Side are not smooth, BUT ARE COARSE, WHICH ALLUDES TO JUDGMENTS.

114. Similarly, it is written: "And he shall make atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Yisrael, and because of their transgression in all their sins" (Vayikra 16:16), meaning that the Accuser will not have power over them. Therefore, on Yom Kippur, which is the wiping away of all the sins and their cleansing, Yisrael should purify themselves and walk barefoot like the lofty angels. THERE ARE five deprivations ON YOM KIPPUR, WHICH ARE EATING AND DRINKING, WASHING, ANOINTING, WEARING SHOES AND MARITAL RELATIONS, in order to be helped by five supernal aspects, WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, AND HOD, which Yom Kippur, WHICH IS BINAH, brought forth, and which are its gates.

115. If drinking is considered as a separate deprivation, then there are six deprivations, because drinking is from the side of Isaac, WHICH IS GVURAH, AND EATING IS FROM THE SIDE OF ABRAHAM, WHICH IS CHESED. THIS IS WHY THEY ARE TWO, even though drinking is included in eating, so then they are six. The last deprivation is marital relations and is located in the sixth level, WHICH IS YESOD, and corresponding to it we perform the deprivation.